Revelation 3:1-6

1. Intro.
1. in this letter we have the general state of the church after the Reformation – (1500-1700)
1. Thyatira represented a time when the church at Rome was in control
2. Sardis represents a time when Protestantism was in control
2. the Reformation was a definite turning point in the history of Christianity
1. God used the reformers to open the eyes of the masses
2. for the first time the Word of God was put into a language that the common man could understand
2. how Christ identified Himself to the church – 1
1. "he that hath the seven Spirits of God" (seven is the number of perfection)
1. there is no specific commendation for the church at Sardis
2. what ever the church once was, it now had only a shell of the original zeal and spirituality
3. the deadness of the church is the reason for this identification
4. this church was in dire need of the quickening power of the Holy Spirit
5. He has adequate spiritual power to meet every need, regardless of what that need my be
2. "he that hath the…seven stars" (the pastors of the churches)
1. their responsibility is to reflect the light of Christ to the people in the assembly and to those who live in darkness
2. Christ has both the "seven Spirits" and the "seven stars": all light and all ministry proceed from Him
3. the problem that Christ found in this church – 1
1. the church had once been a strong, Christ honoring church, but the life was gone
1. they still used the name of Christ, and were outwardly a church of Christ
2. the members were professing Christians, but they were not truly born again
3. they were only going through the motions of religion
4. this situation is sadly true in many churches today
2. man looks upon the outward appearance, God looks on the heart
3. we must distinguish between the Reformation and Protestantism
1. the Reformation was the divine work of the Holy Spirit; Protestantism is a human system
2. when the great reformers died, those who replaced them led the church into "systems", and they drew up dogmas and followed tradition
3. spiritual power was gone, and soon the church had a name that it was alive--but it was dead
4. Protestantism did not produce the spiritual fornication of the Middle Ages; it produced spiritual slumber
5. the church was dead asleep, it was alive in name only
4. Jesus’ advice for the church – 2-3
1. Sardis had nothing for which Christ could commend them for
1. some of their works may have been outwardly impressive toward man, but not "before God"
2. the motive was wrong even when the works were good
2. "be watchful"
1. we are not to sleep as others do, but we are to be alert
2. watching and praying go hand in hand, and have to do with the Lord's return
3. watching and praying are necessities when it comes to winning in the Christian conflict, and being an overcomer
4. they who believe in the imminent return of the Christ will live zealous and pure lives
3. "strengthen the things which remain"
1. what little spirituality remained in Sardis was rapidly dying out
2. it must be strengthened immediately, or else all true Christianity would vanish from Sardis
4. "remember"
1. remember the spiritual power and joy that came from being alive
2. Sardis represents the time period after the Reformation, a time of great spiritual conquest
5. "hold fast"
1. to those things which they had heard and received
2. "hold fast" means to attend to carefully, preserve and keep
6. "repent"
1. from her deadness, coldness, and indifference
2. for no longer living the truth
5. consequences of not heeding the advice of Christ – 3 (judgment)
1. He will come to them as a judge--unknown, unlooked for and unexpected [as a thief]
2. Protestantism and the world have come to terms, and most of them today find more pleasure in the world than they do in a prayer meeting
3. if the church and the world walk together, they must suffer the same judgment and the same doom
4. those not watching are dead, and are in for a big surprise because they think they are alive
6. a small number of people at Sardis are truly saved – 4
1. God has always had His true remnant here on earth, and always will have until the Rapture of the Church
1. the majority in Sardis had a name that they were alive, but only a few were really alive
2. not only were there hypocrites in the church, but the majority of them were
2. Christ had a promise for the real Christians that remained in Sardis [walk with me in white]
1. they had washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb
2. "they are worthy" could be made only about persons washed in the blood, saved by the grace of God
3. there is a difference between redemption and rewards
4. It is possible for a true believer to lose his reward
5. even though they were cold, indifferent, and almost dead spiritually; they would walk with the Savior, dressed in white robes
3. a sad commentary on the leadership of the church
1. only a few of the church’s membership was truly saved
2. their works were imperfect, not their doctrine
3. head knowledge is not enough for salvation (the devils believe and tremble)
4. belief from the heart produces right actions
7. the promise to the overcomer – 5
1. "be clothed in white raiment"
2. their name will not be blotted out of the book of life
1. this is not a threat, but a promise
2. the book of life
1. everybody has their name listed in this book
2. at the time of death, those who were never born again shall have their names blotted out
3. the lost shall be cast into the lake of fire, never to be remembered again by God
4. saved people shall have their names confessed before the Father
3. Jesus will confess the name of the overcomer before the Father
1. shows that Christ has an exact and perfect knowledge of all the chosen ones, he knows them by name
2. He has a strong and affectionate love for them, and is not ashamed of them
3. the confession he will make of them will be to their praise
8. we need to hear what the Spirit says – 6
1. we are again reminded that we are individually responsible to the Lord God Almighty
2. we are to hear what the SPIRIT says--not what man says or teaches